The pandemic forced the games industry to adapt, with a boom in remote work, online communities, and funding for marginalized developers. Now, as the industry reverts to pre-pandemic norms, many disabled developers feel they are being left behind, or worse, pushed out of the industry. Supportive spaces are emerging, but there's a lack of initiatives dedicated to elevating disabled game developers.

The DisCo Devs Jam aims to bridge this gap.

This two-week online event will provide a space for disabled game developers to collaborate, create, and celebrate their unique voices, all while creating games with authentic disability representation.

But the DisCo Devs Jam is more than just a game jam. While participants work within the limited timeframe and theme to develop their games (June 28th - July 13th), we'll be offering resources and support for long-term success.

Here's what sets us apart:

Financial Opportunity: Qualifying games will be included in a game bundle on Itch.io and sold at the end of July. All proceeds will go back to the participating teams.
Knowledge Sharing: Our kickoff event will include talks on the topics of accessibility in games and in the workplace. We will also have mentors available for advice and feedback.
Resources: We will have templates available for use for production timelines, playtesting, and more. Our community will also be open to disabled gamers who wish to playtest participants' games.

What our grantee is saying: "It's no mystery to me why so many developers are disabled. From design to animation to marketing, there is a role in the games industry that will play to your strengths and you can make games from home. Still, ableist workplace policies often force disabled developers to forge their own path through games, something that is difficult to do alone. This is why hosting the DisCo Devs Jam is so crucial. We can create some amazing games if we can foster connection and collaboration between disabled developers. The Awesome Disability Grant allows me to take the game jam further, affording me the support and materials needed to generate some awesome resources and income for these developers, as well. It's my hope that the DisCo Devs Jam will set us on a path where disabled developers can make a living creating authentic and accessible games together."